Shutter apparatus for motion-picture-projecting machines.



B. H. CALDWELL.

SHUTTER APPARATUS FOR MOTION PICTURE PROJECTING MACHINES.

I APPLICATION FILED DEC- 7 912. 1,160,495. Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

' v 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTOR A Horne 1 B. H. CALDWELL.

SHUTTER APPARATUS FOR MOTION PICTURE PROJECTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7. 1912.

1,160,495. Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOR for motion picture projecting machines.

UNITED srArEs rarer-yr orrroa.

I FBURR cnLnwnLn-o'r' NIAGABA FAL s, NEW YoR jfsriurrnn. APPARATUS Foia MOTION-PIGTUREPROJECTING MACHINES.

To allwhom itmafe/ concern; I

; Beit knownythat.I, BURR H. Cennwiinn, a citizen lofkthe UnitedpStates, residing at .Niagara ,Falls, in the; county of-Niagara and State of- New York, have nvented new and iuseful Improvements in Shutter- 1 1pparatus, for Motion-Picture-Projecting Machines, ofwhich' the following is a specifieationp 3 I invention relates to shutterapparatus In connection withthe type: of shutters now infuse, considerable flicker occurs, as the segmentalwings of thegclosing fan-l1ke shutter, in closing tee windows musttravel 'flthe necessary distance to first cover one corner 'of'ithe window. of the apparatus and then the diagonally opposite corner, as. the

. defining sidelines of-thesegnients are diametric; and only parallel with the upper and lower edges cf the window when ex- Throughthe employment of a v deviceconstructed in accordance with my invention, the amount of flicker is considerably reduced, as the shutter closes the opening across the true or narrowest EWlClth, the edges of the. shutter at Itheopenings at all times being parallel to, the edges of the; window of the picture projecting, apparatus, and as the device is capable of more rapid operation; than 'existing shutters to decrease the" time .of. nonexposure, since the flicker is caused by the absence of illumination due to the shutter interrupting the light raysbetween each successivepictu're, and the flicker is there"- for in direct pr oportlon to the lengthof. the

periodof noneexposurez as comparedto the period of exposure. l

provide an eifective shutter device for a mo.- tion picture projecting, machine that. may be madeessentially of a single member mov; ablein front ofthe lens of the machine.- i .1 Still another objectfofthe:inventionis to provide a shutter device that is operable or rotatable in a vertical planei e'j v Still another object of the inventionis to provide effective means whereby such a shutter device as that set forth maybe adjusted ;to proper position; relative to the lens of the machine.

Other objects of the invention are to generally improve and simplify the construction of a device of this'kind and to provide one that maybe manufactured at minimum cost.

" 1 Specification of Letters Patent.

Another object of invention. to

' i The embodiment of the'prefer'red form of the lnvention is shown in thedrawlngs accompanying this appl cation, and there- Figure 1 isja view mostly in end eleva tion but partly broken away and in section. Fig. 2 is a sideview of the same parts with the addition of the lens tube of'the ma- .chine. 3F 3 isa plan view of the parts of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is. a side View of the shutter propershowing the shaft therefor and exterior plate-partly broken away.

i In thedrawingslike reference characters designate like or similar parts: throughout the several views.

The shutter proper employed consistsfessentially of an annular rim 1 which is pro thereof is provided with. a wall a preferably having a.pluralitypof openings 5*provid ed therein It will thus be seen that the shutter properui's a; hollow structure and substantially closed at one end only. This shutter properis mounted to:rotate with a Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

fApplication filed December 7, 1 912. Serial No. 735,490; 1 i I shaft 6" having a hub 7 which extends 1 through a central opening in-vwall 4 and a plate 8 of greater. diameter than the hub and-located interior of the shutterf In the wall iis provided one or more arcuate elongated slots 9 through which pass: set screws 10 adapted to fasten or secure the shutter tothe shaft. Between thewall sand heads ofthe set screws, aplate 1.1 is preferably provided and the openings therein, through Y which ,thescrews pass, are. merely of such size as to accommodate the passage of the screws therethrough. 4 V i v :Shaft 6 is rotatably mounted in a slidahle or bodily Inovablebearing member designated 11' thesaidshaft being directly journaled in an. arm .12. thereof. Projecting; .at right angles to the arin 12 is a 'similararm 13. In said arm 13 is rotatably mounted a shaft 14. 011 shaft 6.,is mounted in. any

suitable manner abevelgear wheel 15 which meshes with a bevel gear wheel, 16.; Said bevel gear wheel 16 is mounted. to slide 7 upon the shaft '14 but vatth'esame time is adjustably securedthereto.. Themeans for adjust-ably securing the bevel gear wheel 16 to shaft L1 consists preferably of a.key L7 ffastened to the shaft 11 and engaged by a slot in the gear wheel 16. To rigidly fasten the gear wheellb at the desired adjustment along the shaft 1 1, a set screw 18 is provided which may be clamped or screwed friction tight against the key 17. The bearing member 11 is suitably supported, as by means of a bracket arm 19 of a-motion picture projecting machine. removably and adjustably secured to the arm '19 by means of asplit collar, the ends of which collar terminate in lugs 20 with which engage a clamping set-screwQl. On the bearing member 11 at the part thereof clamped by the collar, ispreferably formed a key-or spline 22 adapted to engage a cor respondingly shaped opening in the collar. Shaft 14 may be supported and driven in any suitable manner.

In operation, through the driving shaft 14 and the intermeshing of gears 15 and 16 and the formers connection to the shutter, said shutter is rotated and in a vertical plane relatively to the machine. The lens tube of the machine is shown in Fig. 2 and designated 23, the lens therein being designated 24. By reason of the provision of the elongated slots 9 and set-screws 10, the shutter may be adjusted so as to properly position the openings 2 relatively to the film or pictures thereon, before the shutter is rotated or positively driven. To secure the proper lateraladjustment of the shutter relatively to the lens of the machine, the shutter is moved longitudinally and fastened in'the desired position through the adjustment of lugs :20 and set-screw 21 and through sliding adjustment of the bevel gear 16 and set-screw 18.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a shutter'member proper made of a single piece as distinguishedfrom a shutter device having a plurality of relatively movable parts. Also it will be seen that effective means have been provided for the necessary adjustment of the shutter to render the same desirable and highly efficient in operation; at the same time providing a device of few and simple parts which may be manufactured at a minimum cost.

As merely the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, ancl as changes in the details of construction thereof may suggest them selves, such changes are reserved, provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the class described,' a driving shaft, a gear wheel slidable on said shaft, means for fastening said gear wheel Such bearing is and shaft for rotary movement in unison, a

bearing adjustable longitudinally with respect to said shaft, a second shaft, said second shaft mounted in said bearing, a gear Wheel on said second shaft in mesh with said gear wheel and a shutter device mounted for rotation with said second shaft.

2. In a device of the class described, a bearing, supporting means for said bearing. said bearing adjustable longitudinally of the supporting means, a shaft mounted in said bearing, a shutter device mounted on said shaft, a gear wheel on said shaft, :1 second shaft, a second gear Wheel, said second gear wheel mounted on said second shaft and in mesh with said first gear wheel, said second gear wheel slidable longitudinally of the second shaft, means fastening said second gear wheel and second shaft for rotary movement in unison.

3. In a device of the class described, a shutter member, a shaft therefor, a bearing member for said shaft, a second shaft supported by said bearing member, said bearing member slidable on said second shaft. a gear wheel slidable on said second shaft, and a gear Wheel on said first shaft to mesh therewith.

4:. In a device of the class described, in combination with a support, a bearing member adjustable relatively to the support, a first shaft journaled in said bearing member, a shutter operated thereby, a second shaft journaled in said bearing memher, said bearing member slidable on said second shaft, a gear wheel slidable on said second shaft, and a gear wheel on said first shaft to mesh with the gear wheel of the second shaft.

In a device of the class described, in combination with a support, a bearing memberslidable in and adjustably secured to saidv support, said bearing member hav ing angle arms, a first shaft mounted in one of said arms, a shutter device provided with an elongated slot, a plate on said shaft interior of the shutter, means passing through said slot and engaging said plate to fasten said shutter adjustably thereto, a shaft mounted in the other angle arm, said bearing slidable on said shaft, a projecting member on said latter shaft, abevel gear slidable on said latter shaft having a slot to engage said projecting member, a setscrew on said bevel gear to clamp the same to its shaft, and a bevel gear on said first shaft to mesh with said bevel gear.

BURR H. CALDWELL.

Witnesses:

GALEN P. BROOKS, GORDON HAYES.

Copies of this patent may belobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

